The 2024 NFL salary cap will be the largest in history. An unprecedented 13 percent increase bumped the league’s per-team spending limit from $224.8 million to $255.4 million. This is set to create a feeding frenzy when the offseason’s legal free agent tampering period gets underway March 11.
That doesn’t mean teams are content with the rosters and spending room they had coming into the offseason. General managers across the NFL have meticulously pored over their books following Super Bowl 58 in order to maximize their spending potential without sacrificing too much on-field talent. As a result, several big name veterans have been shucked away to the free agent marketplace despite outstanding contracts.
Who were the biggest names? Let’s break down the dozen highest profile releases, ranked by how much money each cut saved their respective former teams. Turns out it’s a rough year to be a veteran defensive back.
1
CB Xavien Howard, Miami Dolphins
Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports
Cap savings: $18.5 million
2
S Jamal Adams, Seattle Seahawks
Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Cap savings: $16.5 million
3
S Justin Simmons, Denver Broncos
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Cap savings: $14.5 million
4
EDGE Emmanuel Ogbah, Miami Dolphins
(ALLEN EYESTONE / THE PALM BEACH POST)
Cap savings: $13,700,000
5
S Kevin Byard, Philadelphia Eagles
Cap savings: $13,031,088
6
S Eddie Jackson, Chicago Bears
USA Today Sports
Cap savings: $12,560,000
7
WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Kansas CIty Chiefs
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Cap savings: $12 million
8
S Quandre Diggs, Seattle Seahawks
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Cap savings: $11 million
9
CB Darious Williams, Jacksonville Jaguars
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Cap savings: $11 million
10
CB Tre'Davious White, Buffalo Bills
AP Photo/John Munson
Cap savings: $10.2 million
11
WR Allen Robinson
Kareem Elgazzar-USA TODAY Sports
Cap savings: $10 million
12
LB Jerome Baker, Miami Dolphins
Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
Cap savings: $9,820,777
13
OG Cody Whitehair, Chicago Bears
Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports
Cap savings: $9,146,000
14
OT Chukwuma Okorafor, Pittsburgh Steelers
Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Cap savings: $8,750,000
15
C Mitch Morse, Buffalo Bills
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Cap savings: $8.5 million
16
EDGE Shaquil Barrett, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports
Cap savings: $8.1 million
